Adjusting your outlook

Now that I’ve had a few months to get used to living in urban Florida, I’ve made a changes to my go-bag and bug-in kit.

First off, I ditched the extra hydration bladder and added a machete. Water is NOT an issue here in swamps as it is in Arizona, but dense vegetation is an issue, however.

Secondly, after talking with co-workers who have lived here since childhood, when a hurricane hits, the electric power will be unavailable for upwards of a month. As our family currently lives in an apartment, our gear and planning need to adjust to that new reality.

Cooking-wise, I don’t have access to my gas grill, so instead I purchased a pair of Sterno stoves and a boatload of extra fuel. A generator is also out of the question, so I went with an inverter instead. The little four-banger in my Honda drinks gas in small sips and we don’t have any major electrical needs beyond our phones, so we should be good for weeks.

Food wise, we have a month’s worth of Wise Food Storage products. We were able to buy one “four week” package each month by skipping one fast food meal a week, and now we’re eating healthier and are set for emergency supplies for a week.

With regards to dealing with the cleanup, I don’t have space for a chainsaw, but I do have space for an axe and a shovel. Prepping isn’t about having all the cool toys, prepping is being able to ride out events with as little disruption as possible.